Sub Urban Vanitys

The first car that was able to move on its own was built in 1769 by a man named Nicholas Joseph Cugnot. However, it seated one person, weighed 8000 pounds and only went about 5 miles an hour. Technology has come a long way since 1769. It used to be that only the wealthy owned a car, but now it is rare for a family to have only one vehicle. Some families have one car per driver and some have even more than that. In the old days you were happy to have a car as long as it could get you from point A to point B, but today there are so many choices that buying a car can become a tedious task: is it the right color, right size, right price, and right tank size? Is it comfortable and affordable? Hopefully it has a good sound system, a lot of good cup holders and a T.V. on the back of the chairs. Many people spend days, weeks, or months trying to buy the perfect dream car for them and their family. But do people consider the affect the vehicle might have on the environment? Though it may seem like a trivial thing to worry about now, many people believe that a lot of cars are bad for our environment. In the article, "SUV's are bad for the environment," Albert Koehl tries to persuade American families that SUV's are a problem by using sarcasm, vivid imagery and scare tactics.

Koehl uses sarcasm in his first paragraph to trigger a new thought into the reader's minds. He claims, "Everyone should have a Sub Urban Vanity… the ads all say we need one." This sarcastic tone is clear and brings up an argument for the readers. It is obvious that an SUV is not for everyone and Koehl probably knows that, but he is likely trying to get people to make the argument for themselves. His clever introduction probably has many people sub-consciously on his side. Most readers probably realize that he is using sarcasm but he has put the thought that SUV's aren't for everyone into the people's minds.

Koehl also attempts to scare his audience by saying that children are at risk with the massive carbon dioxide that is being released into the atmosphere by SUV's. He says, "Give your children a secure environment—an extended warranty cabin where they can drink chilled beverages while they figure out how to cope with the extra carbon dioxide you pump into the atmosphere on their behalf." Koehl uses children as a target because many people feel a need to protect their kids. He wants people to think that because they are driving an SUV they are creating a hazard to their children and if they don't stop, something bad will happen. This passage hopes to scare readers into an emotional reaction in Koehl's favor. He hopes his readers will realize the threat their car is having on the environment and stop driving their SUV immediately. Koehl also tries to scare his readers in this passage by using the word "cope". This word is normally used to describe someone who is overcoming a terrible experience and has to deal with the associated pain and agony. By using this word, Koehl exaggerates the threat, hoping to get people to act, and quickly.

Lake Powell's impact on the enviroment and visa veras